Shingle-planing machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. H. ,KRUGER. SHINGLE PLANING 1111101111111.

No. 530,695. Patented Dec. 11, 1894.

Invent r.

Attorney.

2 DWU. E G U R K H H .(No Model.

SHI'NGLE PLANING MACHINE.

Patented Dec. 11, 1894;

Inventor.

W itnesses Y e n r 0 U. A

NE umms. pzreas co. more LIIHO vmsmmfon. 01c.

; NHTED STATES PATE T OFFICE.

EDWARD H. KRUGER, OF ELIZABETH CITY, NORTH CAROLINA.

sHlNGLE -PLANlNG MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 530,695, dated December 11. 189 4.

Application filed March 12, 1894. Serial No. 503,324. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD H. KRUGER, re-

siding at Elizabeth City, in the county of Pasquotank and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shingle-Planing Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to machines for planing shingles on both sides at a single operation, or for operating on small pieces of wood of substantially uniform size.

The object of the invention isto produce an improved feeding apparatus whereby shingles or similar articles may be taken successively froma pile and moved forward to undergo the subsequent operations of the machine; also to produce an improved stop or selector by which all but the proper shingle or piece of work may be kept from moving forward; also to produce a feed starter for such machines; also to improve the planer bed and connections, so that the shingle may be properly'supported during the operation of planing; also to improve details of the machine.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of a shingle machine to which my improvements are applied, many parts being omitted as not essential to a proper understanding of the present invention. Fig. l is adetail section. Fig. 2 is a plan of a machine, with still other parts omitted. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of part of the machine showing one of the outer shingle troughs or bunch holders of Fig. 2, partly broken away. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic detail of the shingle dropper of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 isa section of one of the gravity gates or selectors, and proximate mechanism.

which is provided with a suitable bed B, di-

vided as shown into three troughs or shingle Fig. 7 is a detail modification.

spaces, although the number may be less or greater.

0, indicates the lower rotary'cutter head, which is driven in any usual manner, and the shingles carried over said head are planed on their under surfaces, the shingles being held down to their work by presser bars D, D, in usual manner.

C denotes the upper planer head.

Thefront end of the bed, as shown, is divided into three troughs or receptacles, E, E, E,in which the shingles F are piled, the butts of the shingles beingtoward the front of the table. The troughs are divided from each other by partitions, and mayor may not be open at the front ends. If the troughs are provided with end pieces these will preferably stand at an incline. (See a, Figs. 2 and 3.)

Shafts 1, and 1", one at each end of the table carry sprocket wheels 2, 2, 2 2*. Round these sprocket wheels endless chains 3, 3, pass, as indicated in dotted lines. These chains 3, 3, carry push bars 4, 4, at suitable distances apart; The push bars 4,4, extend across the bed of the planer, from chain to chain, and are of such thickness. as to bear against the butt of ashingle, and not extend against-a second one on top thereof.

The partitions, G, between the troughs E, E, are supported high enough above the bed of the planer to allow the push bars 4 to pass under them. The chains 3, 3, are driven by the sprocket wheels 2, from any suitable power, and as the bars 4, 4, are moved under the troughs, these bars take (a shingle from the bottom of each of the piles in the troughs, and push them toward the planer heads. As

.they are passed over the first planer the shingle's are held down by'the'presser bars D,the bars yielding or rising to permit the thick end of the shingles to pass under them, but

holding the shingle firmly enough to secure its planing.

To prevent more than one shingle'moving forward at a time from a trough or bundle, I place a stop gate or selector at the rear end of the trough, or a little in advance thereof, or in both positions, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This selector is formed, by a gravity gate,

ways 11 in the sides of the troughs, so that the gates 10 are merely held down by their 10, preferab1y of cast metal, and guided in own weight. Each gate 10 has a lug 12extending overa cross piece 13 of the machine, and a set-screw lat extending through the lug and against the cross piece, limits the downward movement of the gate. The gates 10 have a number of vertical slots or slits 15, and spring fingers 16 are secured to the face of the gates so that they may spring back into the slots. Thelower ends of these spring tingers extend below the lower edge of the gate.

\Vhether the gate 10 forms the rear wall of the trough, or whether it be a little beyond the trough toward the planer head, the gate will be adjusted by its set-screw so that the thin end of a shingle will pass between the planer bed and the ends of these spring fingers, while the fingers will act as a stop to a second shingle on top of the first. Then if the shingle be pushed along, the fingers will be flexed, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. .5, and ultimately the fingers will raise the gate; but all the time the fingers will act as a stop to prevent a second shingle passing along with the first. The normal position of the spring fingers is about vertical. lVhen flexed or bent back the fingers yield until their elastic force overcomes the weight of the gate, when the gate is lifted. The fingers are thus feelers, which act with about the same force in all positions of the gate, and, tend to scrape or comb off all above the bottom shingle with a peculiar elastic scraping action, very effectturn comes to move on.

I prefer a positive feed by which the bottom shingle in each trough may be fed, and this positive feed may be used in conjunction with the selector or selectors, the latter acting to hold back any shingle which should not go to the planer.

In Fig. 2 the troughs E, E, are shown provided with positive droppers, which are more fully shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The trough E has a ledge or tip support K near its rear end, on which the point end of the pile of shingles is supported. The butt end of the pile is supported on a movable gate or cut-oft 11, these parts K, and 11 forming the normal work support. The cut-cit 11 as illustrated slides in ways M. hen in closed position the cut-off 11 supports the shingles. \Vhen drawn toward the front of the machine, (the front being designated as that end at which the work begins) this cut-off 11 no longer supports the shingles, which are held from moving with the cut-off by the end a of the trough. The butt of the lower shingle of the pile will thus be allowed to fall when the cutoff is moved from under the pile. All the shingles above the lower one are supported, when the cut-off 11 is thus moved, by a dog 12, which is thrust into or against the butt end of the next shingle above the botton one, when the cut-oft begins to move from under the shingle butts. Dog 12as shown is merely a toothed slide piece working through a slit in the end of the shingle trough. The dog 12 is moved in one direction when the cut-off moves in the opposite direction, by means of a lever 130, which is pivoted between the dog and cut-ofit, and connected to both, preferably by slot and pin connection. The lever 130 is preferably made of spring steel, so as to yield a little, and to press the dog into the shingle-butt with elastic pressure. (The lever may be made in two pieces connected by a spring. See Fig. 7.)

My connected dog and cut oit are to be distinguished from two connected gates, one advancing as the other recedes, as commonly employed in hoppers, feed troughs, &c., and illustrated in principle in the common measuring shot charger. I do not make two gates or cut-offs to extend under the shingles alternately. The dog I use bites into or against the end of the shingle next to the bottom, and is thus adapted to find a bearing and hold up its load whether the shingle be thick or thin, and the yielding connection between the cutofi and dog adapts the latter to grasp either long or short shingles (within the usual limit of inequality in such articles) and to hold without entering under the bottom of the load, in which it differs materially from the coupled cut-oft" referred to as being common.

The sliding cut-cit 11 is actuated by the following mechanism:-A lever 15 is pivoted at each side of the machine bed, and a slot 16 in said lever receives a pin or projection 17 which is rigid with the cut-oft 11. The lower end of lever 15 is in the path of movement of projections 19 on the endless chains. These projections 19 may be the ends of the push bars at, or they may be any other suitable projections, which can readily be attached to the chains at suitable intervals. The levers 15 preferably have rigid arms 20 on which weights2l are hung, so that the weights tend to swing levers 15 into position to hold the cut-cit 11 under the butts of the shingles. The movement of chains 3 in feeding shingles carries the projections 19 against the lower ends of levers 15, and swings said levers, causing cut-oit 11 to move from under the shingles, which in turn moves the dog 12 into or against the proper shingle above the bottom one. The butt of the lower shingle being no longer supported falls upon the table. (See dotted lines Fig. 3.) The further movement of chains 3 carries the projections 19 along, and the levers l5 swing so far as to ride over said projections, when the projections move on and the levers are swung back, (by action of the weights 21) thus restoring the cut-0E 11 under the shingle ends, and withdrawing the dogs 12*. The shingles, except the lower one which has its butt on the table, then again rest on the cut-01f 11. The projections'l9, or other similar projections, continue the movement with the sprocket chains. Near the position of the shingle points there is a shaft 30, extending across the machine, under the bed. This shaft 30 has gears 31 and arms 32 rigid therewith. The arms-32 are in the path of movement of projections 19, and when such projections engage the arms,said arms and the gears 31 are moved, and a partial rotation of shaft 30takes place, such movement ceasing as soon as the contact piece 19 passes away from arm 32, with which it had engagement. The

gears 31 engage gears 33 on a shaft 34, extending across the trough, near the bottom thereof. The shaft 34 has toothed feed wheels 35, which are just below the levelof the shingle rests -K, and in front thereof. When the butt of a shingle falls upon the bed of the machine, that part near the tip is brought down onto these toothed wheels 35. The engagement of projections 19 with arms 32 causes the rotation of the feed wheels 35, (through the described connections) and in -a way to feed the bottom shingle in a direction contrary to that of chains 3. The bottom shingle is thus withdrawn from the supports, and falls onto the bed of the machine, ready to be carried along to-the planer by the feed bars 4. If by any mischance two shingles should be dropped together, the selector 10 between trough E and the planer will stop the top shingle.

By a proper arrangement of the parts, the point support may be made to operate first, and then the butt support, or the action may be nearly simultaneous. The mechanism for dropping one shingle while the other shingles are held in the trough 1 call a starter, meaning thereby mechanisms to start one shingle in front of the feeding pusher while retaining or restraining the other shingles or pieces in the trough.

As will be readilyvunderstood by the'intelligent mechanic, many changes in construction can be made in the mechanism without de- .parting from the principles of the invention.

I have illustrated and described one mechanism as being the best now known to me, but not as the only mechanism which I have invented.

It must be understood that the butt dropper may be operative, and other mechanism than the tip support described substituted to drop the point of the shingle, so the butt changes may be made-within the limits of my invention.

The lower surfaces of the shingles are planed as the shingles pass over the lower head 0. The shingles are then moved along by pusher bar 4 onto the compensating table or bed 40. This compensating bed has its front end supported by pivots 41, resting on brackets 42, which brackets are vertically adjustable on the frame of the machine, as by set screws passing through slots in the brackets and into the frame. The extreme position of the front end of the bed may thus be adjusted.

The rear end of table 40 has bracket arms 45, which extend downward, and form bearlugs for shaft 1 at the rear of the machine. The shaft 1 carries the sprocket wheels 2 2 and also carries eccentric disks 46, rigidly held to the shaft,but having intermediate eccentric collars, so that the eccentricity of the disks may be regulated, (or the eccentricity of disks 46 may be arranged by having varying sets of eccentrics, removable and replaceable, as is common in some machines, but not, so far as I am aware, in machines of this class.) The disks 46 rest on anti -friction wheels 47, which are supported on brackets 48, suitably connected to the frame so as to be vertically adjustable, as by set screws 49. The supporting wheels 47 having been adjusted to a proper height, and the eccentricity of disks 46 having been determined with the proper relation to the taper of the shingles, the sprocket chains are caused to move. These chains through wheels 2 turn shaft 1", and this revolves the eccentric disks As the eccentric disks are supported only by the wheels 47, the shaft 1 will rise and fall as the disks rotate, and .as the rear end of the compensating bed is supported by said shaft 1", that end of the bed will rise and fall also. The bed is at its highest position at about the time the tip of the shingle is carried under the rear cutter head, 0 The eccentricity of disks 46 bears such relation to the taper of the shingle that the bed 40 falls as the thicker part of the shingle moves under the planer head. The relation of the push bars, chains, and sprocket wheels and eccentrics having been determined in advance, the machine will automatically adjust itself so that all shingles planed by the rear planer head O will be dressed to a true taper, and the work will proceed with uniformity. After the shingles are planed they will be carried ofi the end of the compensating table by the push bars, and may be guided down chutes or otherwise disposed of.-

I claim- 1. The combination with the pusher, of the selector, consisting of a vertically movable gate, said gate provided with spring fingers, constructed to raise the gate when flexed by the shingle substantially as described.

2. The selector described, consisting of a slotted gate having spring fingerssecured to its face and extending lengthwise of the slots, said'fingers constructed to raise the gate when flexed by the shingle, and normally extending below the plane of the lower edge of the gate, in combination with the pusher mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, the table, feed trough, and feeding pusher, the shingle supports and a starter acting to drop a shingle from the supports upon the table, and the selector operating to prevent the advance of more than one shingle, all combined substantially as described.

4. In combination with the pusher or feed mechanism, the selector or gravity gate having spring fingers as described, the fixed support for said gate, and an adjustable beari ng piece by which the lowermost position of the gate relatively to said support may be determined, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, the feeding pusher, the trough, a support for one end of the shingle when resting in said trough and a cut-01'1", operated by said pusher to drop the other end of the shingle as the pusher moves forward, all substantially as described.

6. In a shingle planer, the shingle trough, the cutoff, and the dog constructed to engage the end of the shingle connected to said cutoff by an intermediate piece and the pusher arranged to operate said cut-oft and dog, all combined substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the character described, the machine bed, feeding pusher, and trough, and the selector consisting of a vertically movable gate having a vertical face against which the ends of the shingles rest, said gate being raised by the tapered shingle as the same moves forward, all combined substantially as described.

8. In a machine of the character described, the work support, the pusher, and a movable dog actuated by the mechanism to engage the end of the lowermost remaining shingle and support the bunch of shingles when the bottom one is dropped, all combined su bstantially as described.

9. In a machine of the character described, the work support, the feeding pusher, and a starter constructed to drop first one end and then the other end of a shingle by which the bottom shingle is moved in front of the feeding pusher, and supports by which the other shingles are upheld while the bottom shingle is moved by the pusher.

10. In a machine of the character described, the feeding pusher, the cut-off, and dog connected thereto, adapted to engage the end of the shingle and an intermediate lever in the path of movement of some part of the pusher, and engaging the cut-off, all combined substantially as described. I

11. Ina machine of the character described, the traveling pusher, the cut-0E and its intermediate lever, and the dog in position to engage the end of the shingle and an intermediate yielding connection to said outwit, all combined substantially as described.

12. In amachi eofthe character described, the pusher, the cut-off and its dog, to engage the end of the shingle, as described and the lever and weight connected to the cut-off and operating to restore the cut-01f to normal position, all combined substantially as described.

13. In a machine of the character described, the feed trough, the pusher, the tip support, and driving gears whereby the tip support is moved at intervalsin contrary direction to the pusher, all combined substantially as described.

14. In a machine of the character described, the feed trough, the pusher, the rotatable tip support consisting of toothed wheels connected toashaft, the pinion on said shaft, and the gear engaging said pinion and having an arm in the path of movement of some part of the pusher, all combined substantially as described.

15. In a shingle planer, the pusher, the cutoff, and the movable tip support, the said pusher having projections in position to engage and operate the cut-off, and engage and operate the tip support successively, all combined substantially as described.

16. In a shingle planing machine, the compensating bed pivoted at one end and supported by eccentric disks at the other end, and the feeding pusher driven by a sprocket, said sprocket being connected as a driver to the mo eccentric disks, all in combination.

17. In a shingle planer, the compensating bed pivoted at one end, the eccentric disks supporting the other end, the anti-friction wheels on which the eccentrics rest, and the 105 sprocket chain acting as a feeding pusher and a driver for the eccentrics, all combined substantially as described.

18. In a shingle planer, the compensating bed pivoted at one end, the eccentric disks 11o supporting the other end, the Vertically adjustable supports for said disks, and the feeding pusher acting as a driver for said disks, all combined substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in I [5 presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD II. KRUGER.

Witnesses:

W. A. BARTLETT, CHAS. L. DU Bots. 

